An Opportunity Declined by O. Henry
A wealthy man's daughter falls in love with a poor artist who cannot afford to marry her. The father offers the artist a large sum of money to leave his daughter alone, but the artist refuses and instead marries another woman.
By O. Henry · First published 1917 · Genre: Short Story, Humor, Realism · 565 words
First lines
A farmer who lives about four miles from Houston noticed a stranger in his front yard one afternoon last week acting in a rather unusual manner. He wore a pair of duck trousers stuffed in his boots, and had a nose the color of Elgin pressed brick. In his hand he held a sharpened stake about two feet long, which he would stick into the ground, and after sighting over it at various objects would pull it up and go through the same performance at another place.
The farmer went out in the yard and inquired what he wanted.
What this Textopian page supports
An Opportunity Declined is listed on Textopian as a short story by O. Henry, dated 1917 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: O. Henry
- Date: 1917 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short Story, Humor, Realism, Fiction, Social Commentary
- Length: 565 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for An Opportunity Declined by O. Henry
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering An Opportunity Declined?
- How does this short story by O. Henry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Short Story first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Unprofitable Servant by O. Henry
- The Winner by O. Henry
- His Only Opportunity by O. Henry
- An Inspiration by O. Henry
- The Other Side Of It by O. Henry
- The Trimmed Lamp by O. Henry
Genres
- Short Story — The work is a concise narrative focusing on a single incident and character interaction.
- Humor — The dialogue and situation contain elements of humor, particularly in the farmer's practical response to the stranger's outlandish claims.
- Realism — The story depicts everyday life and realistic characters, reflecting social and economic themes.
- Fiction — The narrative is a work of fiction, presenting imagined characters and events.
Tags
Short Story · Literary Fiction · American Literature · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Class Conflict · Economic Inequality · Morality Tale · Fate vs. Free Will · Irony · Twist Ending